Chinese America

This timeline explores global history after Zheng He's exploration into the Pacific Ocean, which may have reached American shores even in our timeline. Instead of European colonization, it sparked a worldwide race for America; Europe and Asia participated in the colonization of America. This caused an even greater gene pool in the Americas and contact with China negated the need for a Northeastern Passage.

This also created an even greater explosion of new countries and revolutions. It started great alliances and great wars.

This is a collaborative effort, produced by a team of AltHists. Feel free to add to the List of Nations.

Introduction

The Point of Divergence is during Zheng He's explorations. It is for certain, in this ATL, that Zheng He discovered and recorded America in his 5th Voyage in 1415. The Yongle Emperor had instructed Zheng He to explore Eastward to find a pirate base. He was intrigued when he found the island in the middle of the Pacific and destroyed it. He went eastward even further, reaching OTL California. The Yongle Emperor promoted explorations to OTL America.

The new area was named Xīn gǎngkǒu. Explorations began, and the Chinese had assumed they had found a new, large island. Meanwhile, the European chain of events happened. Columbus made his explorations exactly at the same time China was exploring Baja and California.

European explorers had no idea China was exploring, and had been exploring, the exact same continent when they named it 'America'.

When Chinese explorers were found in OTL Panama, people began to assume Xīn gǎngkǒu and America were the same thing. Most Chinese citizens referred to it without much knowledge of its name, America stuck. Eventually, colonies in America were set up and the American race began!